Half to william l



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. H. E. GEISENDO-RF]? MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 533,884. Patented Feb. -12, 1895.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

N0. 533,884. Patented Feb. 12,1895.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOLLAND E. GEISENDORFF, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO WILLIAM L. BROWN, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 533,884, dated February 12, 1895.

Application filed July 2 7, 1 8 94- To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HOLLAND E. GEISEN- DORFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Musical Instrument, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to musical instruments, and has for its object to provide an instrument for orchestral and analogous purposes having somewhat the sound of cymbals and adapted to be played with greater precision and rapidity.

Further objects and advantages of the in- :5 vention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawingsz-Figure 1 is aperspective view of an instrument embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the plan indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail View, in perspective, of one of the ham- 2 5 mers or strikers.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings. I

1 designates a shell or sounding board upon 0 which are mounted the transverse brackets 2, and between the brackets are arranged the supports 3, the upper edges of which are arranged in difierent planes. Between and contiguous to .the brackets are the bridges 4 5 which support the tubular sounding bars 5 and 6 tuned to produce different musical sounds. The bridges are clothed, as shown at 7, to allow uninterrupted vibration of the sounding bars, with yarn cord or similar ma- 4o terial, and the holding pins 8, which are arranged vertically on the brackets are provided with similar clothing 9.

Attached to the supports 3 are the hammers or strikers 10, consisting of spring metal shanks 11 and soft metal heads 12, of brass or similar material, these hammers being arranged in position to strike the sounding bars when the hammers or strikers are depressed. Under the upper sounding bar is arranged a supplemental sounding box 13, which is provided, as is the main sounding box, with an Serial No. 518,751. (No model.)

opening 14. Two groups of three each of the upper series of hammers are provided, and-- one lower hammer is provided for each group of the upper hammers, said upper hammers being played with the first three fingers of each hand, and the lower hammers with the thumbs, thus providing for a precision and rapidity which is unattainable in other instruments designed for a similar purpose.

It will be understood that the above described series of hammers and sounding bars may be duplicated to provide a variety of sounds, and that said bars may be tuned to produce any desired tones, the same being made, preferably, of brass, bell-metal, steel, or similar material. It will be understood, furthermore, that various other changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, I claim- 1. A musical instrument having a shell or sounding board, parallel bridges arranged on said shell or sounding board, sounding-bars supported by said bridges and arranged transversely above the plane of the soundingboard, transverse supports corresponding in number with the sounding-bars and arranged parallel with and in rear thereof, and hammers having spring metal shanks secured at their rear ends to the said supports and provided at their free front ends with heads to impinge upon the sounding bars, said heads being normally held out of contact with and above the sounding-bars, substantially as specified.

2. A musical instrument having a shell or sounding board, parallel spaced brackets 2 arranged longitudinally upon the shell or sounding board, bridges arranged between and contiguous to said brackets and extending above the plane of the upper edges thereof, said bridges being cushioned, sounding bars supported by said bridges, cushioned retaining pins supported by the brackets and arranged upon opposite sides of the extremities of the sounding bars, supports arranged roo transversely between the brackets and respectively parallel with and in rear of the 2 ssaeee sounding bars, and hammers having spring In testimony that I claim the foregoing as metal shanks secured at their rear ends to n my own I have hereto affixed my signature in 10 said supports and provided at their front ends the presence of two witnesses.

with heads which are normally held eonti u- 7 L T T ous to and out of contact with the surfaces of D GEISEB DORFB' the sounding" bars a plurality of hammers be- Witnesses:

ing arranged to strike each sounding bar, ALLEN M. BROWN,

substantially as specified. JOHN H. HEITMAN. 

